The authors conceptualized the relationship between a superior and a subordinate as a potential situational factor and as a motivational factor for the subordinate. Through the traditional approach emphasizing the interaction between ability and situation and the interaction between ability and motivation, the authors hypothesized that motivation based on the superior-subordinate relationship and ability would interact to enhance subordinate performance. Data collected through a simulation experiment were tested using two-way ANOVA, moderated regression analysis, and subgroup analysis. The results from these analyses showed that ability and motivation based on the superior-subordinate relationship were each individually unrelated to performance. However, the combination of ability and motivation based on the superior-subordinate relationship was significantly related to performance. From these results, we drew the following conclusions: first, why the interaction between ability and motivation is difficult to observe in organizational field settings or laboratory settings; and second, that when researchers focus on the individual level of analysis and situational variables, they should pay particular attention to situational factors.